Homeboy Industries

This week’s guest speaker was a former gang member who has moved his way up to Associate Executive Director in Homeboy Industries. Homeboy Industries, is an organization that embraces former gang members by providing hope, training, and support. Each year, over 10,000 former gang members in Los Angeles go to Homeboy Industries in an effort to make a positive change. Full-time employment is offered for more than 200 men and women at a time through an 18-month program. This position allows former gang members to rethink who they are and what they want to do with their new lives. There are also a variety of programs and services available in Homeboy Industries: education, employment, case management, legal services, mental health, substance abuse support, tattoo removal, domestic violence, and solar panel training program. These programs and services allow men and women to redirect their lives by becoming contributing members of our community.

Founder and Executive director, Father Gregory Boyle, was born and raised in Los Angeles. He knows what it is like to grow up in a city where gangs are increasing. Fr. Greg wanted to develop an environment that provides training, work experience, and the opportunity for rival gang members to work together. So, Homeboy Industries arose in an effort to address the escalating problems and needs of gang-involved youth.

An example of Fr. Greg’s amazing work is seen in this week’s guest speaker. The guest speaker told us his life story about where he grew up, what led him to be involved with gangs, years in prison, and what made him seek a new life. He explained that often times, youth choose the gang lifestyle because they grow up around it. He grew up in the projects, where he was exposed to drugs, violence, and a lack of love from his family. In addition to growing up around gangs, there is family involvement in gangs, which leads to descendants also being in a gang as a legacy. Firstly, he did not have an authoritative figure in his life to tell him not to hang out with the wrong crowd. Secondly, he was constantly exposed to chaos. But, it’s not as simple as being told who to hang out with or not because that is the environment he was raised in 24/7. He went to juvenile hall and prison due to illegal work, and he came back out still doing what got him into prison and spending lots of money on alcohol, women, and parties. Eventually, almost overnight, he lost everything and was sleeping on his brother’s couch, unemployed, and having no sense of direction. After going through so much in his life, he sought help with Fr. Greg. What worked for him is that Fr. Greg did not try to push Catholicism on him and he certainly did not lecture him on what he had done was wrong. Fr. Greg simply listened to him, understood him, gave him options, and it was up to him to choose what would be best for him.

The guest speaker enlightened me on the series of events that occur in a gang member’s life. I really enjoyed listening to his story because it allows me to understand why gangs are increasing and why youth sometimes have no way out but to join a gang. It made me think of the power of love and how gang members need to want out of this lifestyle in order to make a change. Fr. Greg knows that former gang members and those who have been incarcerated have very limited options when searching for a job or a welcoming establishment. However, Homeboy Industries receives and welcomes them with open arms, allowing them to start over.